1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting the threshold of soot formation in a flame or other combustion device by measuring the saturation current through an electrostatic probe in the vicinity of the combustor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to use electrical probes to monitor various conditions of combustion. The following U.S. patents are typical of prior art inventions in which a combustion process is monitored with an electrical probe: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,340,014; 3,469,398; 3,541,431 and 3,589,869. Insofar as applicant is aware, none of the prior art recognizes the dramatic change in saturation current which occurs at the inception of soot formation in a flame. It was in the context of the foregoing prior art that the invention arose.